The Devil's Apprentice by Patrick Stewart (polar express read aloud TXT) 📕

angel for good. He lay still on the ground and stared up with cold eyes. Alex wondered if the angel’s threats were real. Would Gabriel really come after him?

Chapter 18

The red-head’s name was Katie. Alex walked her home. She lived only a few blocks away from his own apartment. Once at her door, Katie invited him in for a drink. Alex declined. His head wasn’t in the right place.

He knew the rules.

And he’d just broken them.

It was against the rules to interfere in angel business. Even if that angel business was being a sexual predator. It didn’t even matter whether or not he wanted to be a Demon Hunter. He doubted Gabriel cared about what Alex wanted.

Gabriel, the fucking Archangel. Was he an asshole too?

Once inside his own apartment, Alex’s bag slid off his back as he headed for the kitchen. He poured himself a cold glass of water and gulped it down. Leaning against the kitchen counter, he wiped away the sweat from his forehead and stared at the sunlight shining in through the glass doors that led to the wrought iron balcony. Seven straight days of pure sunshine. This was unchartered territory for London.

Alex was about to open the fridge and rummage for food when he spotted her. She sat on the leather sofa. Hugging her knees and completely still, she stared into space.

It was Jessica.

Alex knew something was wrong. Even before he spotted the nasty purple bruise on her cheekbone.

“Jessica?” he called her name as he came to stand beside her. “What happened?”

She shuddered, surprised by his appearance. Their eyes met. “Alex,” she whispered. Her lips trembled. “He… he raped me.”

Alex dropped beside her, his eyes wide in alarm. “Who raped you?”

“...Kevin… I tried to stop him,” she mumbled.

Kevin. Jessica’s boyfriend. Alex had seen the guy a few times when he’d hung out in the apartment with Jessica. Tall and muscular, he had straight black hair that he wore back in a ponytail.

“I tried to stop him,” Jessica repeated. “But… he forced me down… tore my clothes off,” Jessica took a deep breath. Her body shuddered. “He raped me in front of his… h-his… Josh and Trevor, they just… they just watched and… and G-Ga-Gary…” Jessica stopped. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her breathing haggard.

The trauma of relieving the moment was too much for her. She’d been hurt. There was a large bruise on her face. Her normally immaculately straight hair was tangled. Her short-sleeved blouse was torn around the neck and exposed her bra. Her denim hot pants had dark grease marks.

Kevin had raped her in the garage floor right in front of his co-workers. Josh and Trevor had watched while Gary… he’d done something worse. Had he joined in? Alex felt the anger swell inside him. He pulled Jessica in for a hug. His arms wrapped around her. She buried her head in his chest as the tears she’d been holding back broke free.

Alex cooed comforting words in her ear all the while thinking of ways to make the asshole pay.

* * *

Two hours later, Alex stood by the door of Jessica’s bedroom, watching her sleep. He’d wanted to call the police, but she refused. She didn’t want to deal with the police and the stress that came with it. Kevin had raped her in front of his crew just because she wanted to break-up with him. She was afraid of what he’d do if the police turned up at his garage.

Alex didn’t try too hard to persuade her otherwise. She was hurt both physically and mentally. He’d carried to her bed and after tucking her in, he’d sat beside her, stroking her hair, watching as her eyes finally shut, as her breathing eased.

Now he stood by the door and wondered what to do. Kevin would pay for what he did. Alex would make him pay. The dirtbag would suffer. He knew where the asshole worked. He could drive over there now and-

Alex turned his head and stared down the hallway as the front door opened. It was Karen. Somehow, she had a key. Or… magic? Did she use magic to open locked doors?

She looked as gorgeous as always. A short black skirt revealed legs that stretched for ever. A fitting white sleeveless blouse hugged her ample bosom. So tall too… he wondered if he would ever get used to her height, and the height of other female Demon Hunters.

“Are you done sulking?” Karen asked. “Because it’s time for you to choose a weapon and begin your training.”

Alex frowned. Sulking? What the hell was she talking about? It came back to him soon enough. She’d let him get his ass kicked, then brought him back to his apartment, stripped him naked and sucked on his cock. She’d made Jessica do the same. In hindsight, the last part didn’t seem so bad…

“What’s the matter?” Karen asked. She peered into the room and spotted the sleeping Jessica. “Watching her sleep? I can’t tell if that’s romantic or creepy.”

“She was raped by her boyfriend,” Alex said coldly.

“I suppose it’s a good place to start.”

Alex’s brows furrowed. “What are you talking about?”

“The human that hurt her will make for perfect target practice. Come on, let’s get you a weapon.”

Karen walked down the corridor and out the front door, not glancing back once to see if he followed. It annoyed Alex that she expected him to obey. After his last meeting with her, he’d decided to not listen to the Demon Hunter.

But the circumstances were different this time, he told himself. He was doing this to avenge Jessica, not to serve the devil. Alex closed the door to Jessica’s bedroom and followed after Karen.

Chapter 19

Karen didn’t bother holding the elevator for him. The doors